Underneath the Underneath
by The Oblivious Wallflower
Summary: One of the many rules of being a ninja is "A ninja must be able to see underneath the underneath." The problem is: none of them ever seemed to scratch past the surface.
1. Chapter 1: The Request

Underneath the Underneath

Summary: One of the many rules of being a ninja is "A ninja must be able to see underneath the underneath." The problem is: none of them ever seemed to scratch past the surface.

**Chapter 1: The Request**

Heavy panting can be heard in the area beyond the Haruno mansion, somewhere in the forest. A girl was lying on her back, sweat glistening on her porcelain skin. Waist length bubblegum pink hair was sprawled on the ground and jade eyes were staring at the now gray clouds in the sky. She couldn't help but think that the heaven's condition somehow reflects her mood.

With a groan, she forced herself not to think about it. No matter how much her father opposes her idea of becoming a ninja, she'd go through with it. The very reason she was well-known throughout the Fire Country was for being the feudal lord's daughter, but her stubbornness runs a close second.

Tears began to gather in her eyes when she remembered the earlier events at dinner, when she went through with her plan.

_Flashback:_

_Sakura stood in front of her mirror. She kept fidgeting and smoothing out invisible creases on her kimono. She was nervous, that much was obvious, but she was actually trying to calm herself down, she needed to be prepared for tonight. Not only for her sixteenth birthday, but also for her birthday wish that she hoped will be granted. It wasn't an easy one, after all. _

_All of her previous birthday wishes had been granted-toys, dresses, and even her own mansion!-without having to bat an eyelash in her father's direction. Apparently, asking permission to be a ninja was going to take more than just that. Much more than that._

_A knock on her door stopped her fidgeting. "Sakura-sama, your father wants you to join the guests downstairs. They're already in the dining hall waiting for you."_

_A pause. "Tell him I'll join them shortly."_

"_Hai." With that said the maid left to entertain the guests. _

_Sakura took one last glance at her appearance in the mirror. She wore an elegant kimono, blood red at the top then fading to a lighter hue at the bottom of the dress, where it was now a beautiful yet dark shade of pink. It was designed with a cherry blossom tree with petals falling at the hem of her dress. Her hair was put into a tight bun at the top of her head, with few tendrils of curled hair framing her face. Sakura put on light make-up, less is more for her. Satisfied, she walked out of her room._

_People greeted her everywhere she went. She replied with her own smiles, 'Hello's and 'Good evening's. Eventually, she came to the dining hall. Her father really prepared for it, that much she could tell from the number of people inside and the extravagant decorations in the hall. She walked inside and sat down on one of the chairs in the nearest table she could spot. She didn't bother going to the main table, still thinking of ways to tell her father._

'_**You idiot, you shouldn't be thinking so hard! It's our birthday for God's sake, and you're moping in one corner. Sheesh, talk about emo.'**__, said Inner Sakura. Sakura was different from people in this sense, she has a second train of thought in her head. She wished that wasn't the case. _

_Sakura groaned inwardly. 'Shut up. I prefer it when you're brooding and silent in your corner. And I am NOT emo. Where have you been anyway? It was too quiet earlier.'_

'_**Oh. Well, actually I was thinking too. How in hell do we get Dad to allow us to be a damn ninja?'**_

'_Wow. Didn't know you had a brain. And watch your language, Dad would flip if he heard us talking that way. Though you do have a point. '_

'_**Haha. That was so funny I forgot to laugh. Not to burst your bubble, but even though we're two minds, you're still me and I'm still you. Ha. In your face!'**_

'_Argh! Forget it! You're not helping. Just shut up and brood in your corner!'_

'_**But-'**_

'_Now, Inner!'_

_Her inner reluctantly went into a corner of her mind, mumbling something about 'killjoy' and 'brooding in our birthday'. Finally, some peace and quiet. Sakura never seemed to have that whenever her inner self's ranting._

_After her inner self retreated into her corner, Sakura thought really hard. See, her situation was something like this. Ever since an accident when she was 5, her father acquired a mild sense of dislike and discomfort around ninjas. He told her that ninjas are cold, ruthless killers, but Sakura believed otherwise. She thought that ninjas were protectors, but she never told her father that. Now, she was old enough to be a ninja and actually __**wanted**__ to be one, but the problem was telling her father and getting his approval._

_Not an easy task._

_So, after about fifteen minutes of thinking about a plan and coming up blank, she finally decided to just blurt it out during dinner._

_Just when she was about to head to the main table, her father approached her, "Sakura-hime," _

_With a warm smile, her father enveloped her into an even warmer hug, full of happiness and love for his daughter. "Happy birthday, honey."_

_Sakura replied with one of her own bright smiles, "Thanks, Dad."_

"_Now come on, there are a few people I would like you to meet."_

_She obediently followed her father, mindlessly offering 'Hello's and 'Nice to meet you's to every person she was introduced to. When dinner came, she and her father headed to the main table._

_Food was served, and Sakura decided it was now or never. Everything went by slowly. Chatter from all around them was blocked out._

"_Dad?"_

"_Hmm?" Her dad was picking at a lobster._

"_Can I ask you one big request?" Sakura suddenly felt hesitant._

"_What is it, hime?" Dad stopped poking the lobster and turned to look at her._

"_I want to be andfhfugaskdhiu," The last part turned gibberish._

"_I'm sorry, I didn't catch that," Dad looked at her weirdly._

"_I said, Iwanttobeaninja." She said in a too-fast-way-nobody-could-understand._

"_Honey, could you speak clearer? You know I-" He was cut off by his own daughter's voice, louder and clearer than before._

"_DAD, I WANT TO BE A NINJA!" _

_Everything suddenly went back to normal; the chatter resumed, then stopped altogether at hearing Sakura's words._

_Sakura was now standing, her hands clenched on the table cloth, and eyes looking intently at her father. She started this, she couldn't, __**wouldn't, **__back out now. Said father, however, wouldn't look at her._

_Then he spoke quietly, "Excuse us for a moment. Sakura, come with me."_

_He left the table, Sakura scurrying after him after a while. He turned a few corners, walked a few hallways and ended up at the garden just outside the mansion. It was beautiful; it never seemed to loosen its hold on Sakura. She never gets tired of seeing this garden, especially because her mother personally attended to these plants when she was still alive._

_Haruno Sakumo finally spoke, "What made you say that, Sakura? You know how much I feel about ninjas.I thought you would have hated them after that incident… Why would you want to become one anyways?"_

"_I… want to protect everyone I love. So we don't have a repeat of that incident."_

_The rest of the conversation was a blur to Sakura. All she remembered was her father's last statement before he walked away, "…I don't ever want to hear anything about being a ninja. You will never enter their world."_

_End of Flashback_

Sakura swiped at her eyes, clearing away the remaining moisture. She wasn't sure how long she sat there brooding, but eventually decided to get up and head home, no matter how much she didn't want to. She didn't know how to deal with the guests, so she decided to just get in through the back door.

A maid stopped her on her way to her room, "Sakura-sama, your father has been really worried. You were out for hours, and it's almost midnight. He wishes to speak with you in the library."

She was exhausted, from what she couldn't recall, so she just nodded and went to the library. Her mother was fond of books, so that place held a special place in her heart since they spent hours upon hours there reading fairy tales.

Sakura opened the door and braced herself for what was to come.

"You wanted to see me, Dad?"

"Three years."

"Huh?"

Sakura was confused. Three years? What about three years? What was her father talking about? He didn't make sense. Did he just call her there to say that?

Sakumo sighed. "Three years is all I can give you, Sakura. Promise me you'll take care of yourself."

Sakura still didn't get the message, "I promise, Dad, but what are you talking about?"

"You're going to train in Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, under the Godaime Hokage for three years."

xOxOxOxO

A/N: So what do you think? Sorry if it's still messed up, I'll fix everything in the next chapter. Reviews are welcome! And I will forever love those who review :P maybe. HAHAHAHA, just kidding. Anyways, flames, praise or whatever are accepted, just tell me what you think :D


	2. Chapter 2: Enter: Team 7!

A/N: Okay, well, it took forever to update. Blame the stupid internet connection here; it seems to magically disappear whenever I'm supposed to use it. It's currently being fixed, seeing as the whole neighborhood's complaining already :D The rest of the time before the internet crashed was spent writing this chapter and being busy at school (a whole week of exams known as hell week) so, yeah. You know the routine, read and review! :P Oh and one more thing, we had a block competition in school, and our block won BEST BLOCK! Isn't that great? Hahahahaha, I'm just happy and still a bit stressed from school work =)) so excuse the retard ranting here… ON WITH THE STORY!

**Chapter 2: Enter: Team 7!**

_Clang!_

The sound of metal hitting another metal reverberated throughout the area. Baby blue eyes narrowed, watching intently for any clues on the opponent's next attack. He got none. The blue-orbed male leapt away from his enemy with clenched teeth and a glare in his face. The moment his feet hit the ground, he immediately executed his signature technique. A loud cry of "_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!_" sounded in the forest. Immediately, over a hundred replicas of the cerulean-eyed blond surrounded the dark figure.

He didn't look fazed. At all.

Onyx eyes stared at the scene around him. His crouched figure didn't relax in the least as he regarded his enemy with cold, calculating eyes. It was true, he wasn't the least bit fazed, but with his current enemy, he can never be too comfortable. The blond always had a tendency of doing the most unexpected things at the most unexpected time. His midnight black hair swayed with the wind as his opponents got ready to jump at him. A loud battle cry emitted from their lips as they all lunged at the enemy at the same time.

"_Chidori Nagashi!_"

A burst of electricity shot out from dark-haired lad's body, hitting all the clones at the immediate vicinity. A loud _'poof!'_ was heard as all the clones, save for the original, vanished in a large cloud of smoke.

The blond shrieked, "Hey, bastard! No fair! Kakashi-sensei said no chidori and rasengan!" He kept rambling on and on about his opponent who was apparently a 'cheating Teme' until he was interrupted by said bastard with a muttered "Dobe." and a loud smack to the back of his head. The blond clutched his head, and was about to retort when the familiar 'poof!' declaring the arrival of their sensei reached his ears.

"Alright, kiddies! That's it for today!" He sounded very… cheerful, for a lack of a better word. Then he looked pointedly at his students. "And I'm assuming that you both broke the rules. Again. I thought I said strictly no ninjutsu." Hearing a snicker from the blond, Kakashi turned his attention on him.

"Don't blame me, Kaka-sensei! I swear, I didn't start it this time! Teme did!" At this, the silver-haired jounin sighed and looked at said teme questioningly.

"The Dobe used Kage Bunshin first." He glared at the blond who smiled sheepishly at their sensei. Then he answered the other question his teacher was supposed to ask. "About a hundred clones."

Kakashi appeared deep in thought for a minute, the he said, "Naruto, as far as I remember, training rules said only weapons and taijutsu are allowed, genjutsu too. But because of that little stunt you just pulled, no ramen for a week."

"_WHAT?!_ H-Hey, Kakashi-sensei, you can't do that! You know ramen is my most favorite thing in the whole wide world, aside from kicking Teme's ass, but you get the picture! Ramen is what makes the world go round! Without it, people will die ("_Just you, Dobe. I'm pretty sure the world will continue without ramen. Or you for that matter_." Sasuke butted in, to which Naruto retorted with a "_Shut up, Teme!_" and continued his rant), and the sky will fall! Besides, you're not Hokage! You don't have the right to ban me from eating ramen! I DON'T THINK SO! NU-UH! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! YOU C-"

Kakashi was getting tired of the blond's ranting. So he interrupted him before Naruto threw another one of his temper tantrums. "Alright, fine. Three days. No ramen for three days."

The statement is promptly ignored, and the rant continued. It got to the point that Kakashi got too annoyed, and finally resorted to threats. "Naruto, if you don't shut up this instant, I swear I'll make sure Godaime-sama bans you from going anywhere near Ichiraku's." Kakashi knew that this was not enough threat to Naruto; the loudmouth would just ignore-in the blond's words-'Tsunade-baa-chan'. So he thought for a while and added, "Or would you rather have Sasuke throw a barrage of kunai, shuriken and senbon at you, Sharingan activated?"

The blond gulped, knowing how deadly his friend's accuracy is in using those weapons. Even without the Sharingan. But, with it activated… Well, let's just say Naruto's skills in kunai-throwing would be put to shame, and Sasuke would be giving Ten Ten-_freaking renowned weapon's mistress Ten Ten_-a run for her money.

Naruto turned to look at Sasuke. Seeing the evil glint in his eyes and the almost playful smirk on his lips, he finally conceded. But not without a final word.

"You're so mean, sensei."

Kakashi just smirked.

xOxOxOxOxOxOxO

"Oh yeah, Kakashi-sensei, what'd you interrupt training for?" Naruto asked, noticing that their teacher's arrival was earlier than usual-a record for their normally tardy sensei. They were still at the training grounds, Naruto and Sasuke having broken into a banter after the whole ramen ordeal only thirty minutes prior.

Kakashi looked thoughtful for a minute. "I don't really recall why." He said, his lone eye closed, meaning he was smiling underneath his mask, and a hand scratching his head.

"Whaaat? You mean you interrupted training for nothing? Gah, I'm going back to train. C'mon Teme, I'm gonna kick your ass now." Naruto said, walking to another part of the training grounds.

Sasuke turned to follow, but his sensei stopped him. "Wait, Naruto, Sasuke." Kakashi's lone eye crinkled again, his version of a soft smile. "We have a mission today."

Naruto was instantly by his teacher's side, bombarding him with questions about their mission. Sasuke was silent as ever, but a hint of excitement was present in his eyes.

"Ne, ne, Kakashi-sensei, what are we doing this time? Is it S-ranked? Are we hunting down missing nins? Going on some epic adventure to save the ninja world? Going on an awesome journey to rescue a super important person? What? What?! WHAT?! Tell meeeee Kaka-sensei!"

Kakashi's lone eye crinkled. His boys were growing up so fast. They started out as annoying genins with a burning desire to rip each other's throat out (_Naruto was still annoying; they still want to rip each other's throat out. Nothing much has changed, he was just getting used to it_). But now they're all matured-somewhat- and ready to tackle S-ranked missing nins, even though their mission was nowhere near that caliber (He was sure his boys would be disappointed). Oh no, it was very far from S-ranked criminals. So Kakashi chose to keep the mission details to himself and let the Hokage deal with their whining-meaning Naruto's loud complaints and Sasuke's muttered grumbles.

"The Hokage will brief us with the mission details in the tower. We should go now, we might get late. You know how Tsunade-sama is about tardiness." Sasuke and Nruto followed their teacher, Naruto mumbling something about _'stupid baa-chan'_ and '_crazy Hokage who wants everyone to always be early when she's always so late_' while Sasuke whispered something that sounded suspiciously like "_You would know._" to their teacher.

Kakashi just smiled at their antics.

They took the long walk to the tower. Naruto said loud 'Hello's and 'Ohayou's to every person he came by, a big grin on his face and hands on the back of his head. Sasuke walked quietly beside him, hands in his pockets. He thought about their mission today. "_It better not be another one of those D-ranks_ ", he thought with a frown; the last time they were sent for a mission, he nearly blew up a fuse. They made him babysit a freaking _kid with twice Naruto's energy reserves_. Can't be that bad? Apparently not. Kakashi bunked out early, leaving the child to Naruto and Sasuke. Unfortunately for him, Naruto and the kid seemed to have gotten along and made it a mission to tick off the last Uchiha. By the end of the day, Naruto was burnt to a crisp and he was ready to murder every single child in the village. Kami help them if that ever happened again.

The trek to the tower was surprisingly short for Sasuke. They got there faster than he expected. They climbed the stairs quietly, save for Naruto who kept on complaining about how they should hurry up so they can get their mission and how he was so tired from these stupid stairs. The blond was promptly ignored.

When they got to the Hokage's office, Kakashi moved to open the door, but was knocked aside by a bouncing yellow and orange ball of energy. He sighed, straightened himself up and walked inside the "throne room" (as Naruto so carelessly dubbed it), Sasuke following him silently.

"Baa-chan!"

A blonde's head shot up from its resting place on the mahogany desk. A glare formed on the woman's face, amber eyes alight with fury. "I told you not to call me that, gaki! (brat)"

Kakashi pulled the blond dobe's ear as he offered an apology to the Sannin. "Sorry about that, Tsunade-sama. He won't listen to me. You are the Hokage, and he'll probably listen to you if you threaten him. With ramen."

Naruto's face paled, remembering his sensei's word's earlier at the training ground. _"Naruto, if you don't shut up this instant, I swear I'll make sure Godaime-sama bans you from going anywhere near Ichiraku's."_ He knows the blonde Sannin had the power to do it, and he knows for a fact that she will do it, if she became too annoyed with him.

The whiskered boy disregarded the thought for a minute. He could worry about his ramen suspension later. Right now, they had a mission. So he decided to ask the '_old lady_' about mission details. "Ne, ne, Baa-chan, what's our mission? Is it dangerous? Lay 'em on me, quick, so we can leave now! Hurry up Baa-chan!"

Tsunade was getting annoyed with Naruto's whining, Kakashi's porn book out in the open, and the all-too-familiar little glare forming in Sasuke's face. For a moment, she considered knocking them into next week, just like what she did to Jiraiya when he was being perverted and stupid. The thought was dismissed as quickly as it came. She needed them healthy and fit for this mission.

She tuned out the bickering of the two boys _("Shut up, moron. You're too damn loud." Sasuke said. Naruto had to retort, of course, he wouldn't be Naruto if he didn't. And they wouldn't be Sasuke and Naruto if they weren't bickering. "Gah! Shut up Teme! You're the moron! Besides, I AM NOT LOUD!" Beside him, Kakashi winced and edged away_). The blonde Hokage turned to look at the files in her desk.

_**Name:**__ Uzumaki Naruto_

_**Birthdate**__**:**__ October 10_

_**Age**__: 17_

_**Rank**__: Chuunin_

_**Likes**__**:**__ Eating ramen, Training_

_**Dislikes**__: Waiting for 3 minutes before eating ramen_

_**Dreams/Ambitions**__: To become Hokage and surpass all the previous ones_

_**History/Background**__: Seventeen years ago, the Kyuubi was sealed in him by his father, the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato. Both parents died while Naruto was a baby, resulting in him being raised and supported by the Sandaime Hokage. Starting at the academy at age 6, he was labeled the 'class loser'. He graduated at age 12, and was placed in a team with Hatake Kakashi as his sensei, and Uchiha Sasuke his teammate. After Uchiha Sasuke's desertion, he left the village to train with the Legendary Toad Sannin Jiraiya. He returned to the village at age 16 and went on to rescue the Godaime Kazekage Sabaku no Gaara from the Akatsuki. A few months later, he saved the village from one of the most powerful Akatsuki members, Pein. Now, he is recognized as one of the most powerful and most respected ninjas in Konohagakure._

She flipped the file closed and opened the next one.

_**Name**__: Uchiha Sasuke_

_**Birthdate**__: July 23_

_**Age**__: 17_

_**Rank**__: Chuunin_

_**Likes**__: Training, Tomatoes_

_**Dislikes**__: Fan girls, Sweets_

_**Dreams/Ambitions**__: To kill a certain man and to restore the clan to its former glory_

_**History/Background**__: Second born to Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto, Uchiha Sasuke is the younger brother of Uchiha Itachi-the supposed Uchiha prodigy. At age 8, he came home to find the entire Uchiha clan slaughtered, and his parents dead at his brother's feet. For some reason, Sasuke was the only Uchiha to survive the famed massacre, the only Uchiha that the alleged prodigy didn't kill. From that day, he vowed revenge against his brother. He graduated the academy at age 12, and was placed under the care of Hatake Kakashi, with Uzumaki Naruto. He left the village a year later to train under the traitor Orochimaru and returned three years later at age 16, having been brought back by Uzumaki Naruto. He is now staying at the Uchiha Compound and has been loyal to Konoha and Team 7 since his return._

The next file was about the ever-tardy Copy Ninja Kakashi.

_**Name**__: Hatake Kakashi_

_**Birthdate**__: -_

_**Age**__: - _(Tsunade growled at this, the silver-haired jounin refused to divulge any information concerning his age unless for medical reasons.)

_**Rank**__: Jounin_

_**Likes**__: Training, Reading Icha Icha novels_

_**Dislikes**__: Idiots wearing green spandex_

_**Dreams/Ambitions**__: To be like his father, the White Fang of Konoha, and to protect both friends and comrades_

_**History/Background**__: Hatake Kakashi was the son of the White Fang of Konoha. He was put in a team with Rin and Uchiha Obito and his sensei was the famed Yellow Flash, the Yondaime Hokage Namikaze Minato. On their first jounin mission, Kakashi was appointed team leader. A wrong decision-over comrade or mission success-lead to his teammates dying. Before Uchiha Obito died, he gave his one good Sharingan eye to Kakashi (the other eye was crushed by a rock) as a farewell gift. As a result, he obtained the infamous Sharingan belonging only to the Uchiha clan. He cannot turn the doujutsu off like other Uchihas can, so he covers it with his hitae-ate. The Sharingan he acquired in his left eye allows him to copy any ninjutsu he saw, thereby giving him the title Copy Ninja for copying over a thousand jutsus._

Tsunade flipped the file closed and arranges all three files in a corner of her desk. After this mission, there will be one more file added to this pile. She turned to look at the three in front of her, who stopped whatever they were doing to listen to their Hokage.

"Alright, Team 7, listen up. This is a very important mission and I won't accept failure."

"What rank, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked, turning serious.

"A-ranked. The only reason this wasn't S-ranked is because the Daimyo's house was within Fire Country, and therefore, quite near to Konoha."

Naruto spoke up, confused. "Ne, Tsunade-baa-chan, what are we doing at the Daimyo's house? Can you make it clear?"

Tsunade sighed. Naruto, really. "You are to escort the Daimyo's daughter, Haruno Sakura, on her journey here. She will stay here for a time span of three years where she will be trained as a ninja."

Sasuke spoke up for the first time since Tsunade called their attention. "Why are you sending us with this mission if it was so important? Aren't there other ninjas more suited for this task? Like ANBU?"

A vein popped in Naruto's head. "Hey, bastard! A mission is a mission! Besides, we're supposed to protect a very important person! How cool is that?"

"Actually Naruto, Sasuke has a point." Tsunade said. "There are other ninjas well-suited for this task, like ANBU. But I specifically assigned your team for this. You've been without a third permanent member since the formation of your team, right?" All three nodded. Sasuke and Kakashi already knows where this was heading, Naruto was still oblivious.

"Yeah, but so what, Baa-chan? We're better than any of the other teams, dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed, throwing a punch in the air for good measure.

"You'll do more than just escort her. After she settles down here, I'll train her personally, and after that… She'll become the third member of Team Kakashi." Tsunade finished, intertwining her fingers and resting them under her chin. The reaction she got was not one she expected.

"_WHAT?!" _

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the blond's reaction. He thought that the arrival of a new member would please him. Apparently, this wasn't the case. He wondered why, though. The boy was usually so nice and welcoming to people.

"But-But-b-, Baa-chan you can't do that! We're-we-we don't! Gah! Sasuke-teme, you tell her!" The blonde dobe was panicking. He was waving his arms over his head, pulling his hair so hard it might get torn from his head and pacing in the room so fast everyone was starting to get dizzy. He was aggravated, and this was the first time his team and the Hokage had seen him getting so worked up over something that isn't about ramen.

Sasuke raised a brow. Tell her what exactly? The dobe wasn't making sense. While he wasn't exactly ecstatic about the thought of another teammate, a girl no less, he wasn't being Naruto (or being stupid, but in his opinion, Naruto and stupid are synonymous with each other). Another teammate would just hinder his goal of getting stronger. Not to mention she might be a fan girl. Oh, that would just be hell for the Sharingan wielder. He was interrupted from his thoughts when his loud baka of a teammate called his name loudly.

"What, Dobe?"

"You tell her we don't need another teammate! We're perfectly fine on our own!" Naruto was shouting at him frantically. Sasuke didn't understand the Dobe now. He should be the one saying these things, not Naruto. The blond baka was always the welcoming committee, he was the distant one. "Why the hell are you being stupid, idiot?" Sasuke frowned at Naruto. "Or rather, why are you being like that?"

The question shut the agitated blond up. He remained quiet for a little too long. Everyone was anxiously awaiting his answer. What he did just now was rather _un-Naruto-like. _They stared at the blond who was staring at the floor and wringing his hands together.

Naruto bit his lip. "Never mind. When are we supposed to leave, Tsunade-sama?" They would never understand. He'll just let it be for now.

"In two hours. The travel to the Daimyo's house takes about three to four days. Kakashi, here's the map. Remember, you're in charge. I won't accept any failure of any kind. I want Haruno Sakura here safe. No scratch on her, got it?"

"Hai, Godaime-sama."

"Go. You're all dismissed."

Sasuke nudged the blond, and motioned to exit the room. He gave one last nod to Kakashi and the Hokage, who both nodded back, and moved to leave with his hands in his pockets. Naruto followed suite, strangely quiet.

Kakashi turned to the Hokage. "Tsunade-sama, is it wise to put her in this team?"

The Hokage looked at him with serious eyes, "Are you against it, then?"

"I'm not against it or anything. I just think it's not advisable to put her in this team."

"Why not Kakashi?"

Kakashi frowned. "The Akatsuki. They're still after Naruto. And we both could tell that they're growing desperate. Pein's attack a few months ago and more attempts afterwards proved that. When the attacks stopped, I became suspicious. I'm still wary now. I can't help but think that they're planning something big, especially after that close encounter with Uchiha Itachi, and we both know that he could've easily taken Naruto. He just played with him. Not to mention Sasuke still harbors a grudge for Itachi, who is also after Sasuke." After that the Copy Nin sighed and opened a wary eye. Then he chuckled. "We're pretty messed up people, Tsunade-sama, and I just don't want her involved in any of our problems. Besides, we don't want the feudal lord hot on our heels if something happens to his only child."

Tsunade nodded. "I see your point Kakashi. But there are no other teams available to assist her. Until I find one that is suited for her level and is capable of protecting her, I leave her in your hands." With that, the Legendary Sucker closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. She already foresaw a hell of a migraine coming her way. Oh what she wouldn't give for some sake right now. Too bad Shizune had to hide her stash. She made a mental note to find Shizune's hiding places later.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama." The famed Copy Nin bowed and moved to leave the room, until he heard the Hokage's voice. "Wait."

He turned to face the Hokage, and waited patiently for what she has to say. Even if he wanted to read the newly published Icha Icha Paradise by Jiraiya-sama, he would have to wait. She was Hokage for a reason anyway, and you do not get Konoha's Godaime Hokage mad without good reason, else you would be facing her furious fists. Now that would just be a death wish.

Tsunade nodded for him to take a seat. So, this was going to be long. His precious Icha Icha would have to wait. As Kakashi was taking his seat in front of the Hokage's desk, the busty blonde spoke up.

"Sakura is not the Daimyo's only child."

Kakashi's lone eye widened.

xOxOxOxOxOxOxO

The air breezed around his face as they hopped in the tree branches in the forest. Both his teammates were quiet as ever, so he saw no reason to break the ice. Besides, the silence can wait. He had a lot to think about, most of them centered on their current mission. The tanned blond never really did any thinking, his teammates were always the thinkers and he was the doer, but this time he can't help it. It was about his family, after all.

After this mission, they would have another teammate. A _girl_, no less. He wasn't worried about competition, no, he knew Sasuke had the hormones of a rock, and his sensei just wasn't into that kind of thing. What he was worried about was-

"Alright, you two. We'll stop for now. We've made good time, and the mansion is just half a day's travel. We should be there past noon tomorrow, for the meantime, we'll camp in here." Kakashi's cheerful voice broke Naruto's train of thought. Said blond blinked, then leapt down to join his teammates who were setting up camp.

Sasuke watched with emotionless eyes as Naruto leapt down from the tree he was standing on. He couldn't help but notice that his moronic teammate was acting weird. Then again, if someone chats your ear off for two whole days then turns as quiet as a rock the next day, you'd be an imbecile not to notice. Something was obviously bugging the normally hyperactive ninja. He wasn't the type to go and start a heart-to-heart talk with someone, so he decided to leave the talking to their sensei.

"I'm going to gather firewood." With that, the Uchiha turned his back on the two men, but not before sending the silver-haired jounin a meaningful look. He'll know what to do. Hopefully.

Once the Sharingan wielder disappeared into the forest, Kakashi stared at his student. He decided to wait for a few more minutes before talking to the blond. "You know, cherry blossom trees are in full bloom at this time of the year."

Naruto turned to look at his sensei, unsure of his meaning. Kakashi smile then, knowing he had his student's full attention. "Uzumaki Naruto. Remember when you were still young?"

At his question, Naruto raised an eyebrow. "I'm not that old, sensei."

"I know. But remember when you were still at the academy?" This time, he didn't wait for his student to respond. "You were always pestering the villagers, making Iruka mad with your pranks, and driving the Sandaime's blood pressure through the roof. You were the class loser; nobody believed you were going to amount to anything. But now look at you. You're one of the strongest ninjas in the village, recognized by everyone, even by other villages. And look at those people who believed you weren't good enough. A few months ago, after you defeated Pein, _they_ named _you_ their _hero. _The hero of Konohagakure. Some even considered you to become future Hokage after Tsunade-sama's rule." At this, Naruto's eyes twinkled. Apparently, the blond wasn't paying attention to the talk of the town after his fight with Nagato.

"Why are you telling me all this, Kaka-sensei?" Ah, so he still didn't get it.

"A cherry blossom must first go through several seasons of winter, summer and fall before fully blossoming into a beautiful sakura. That's what happened to you, Naruto. That's usually what happens to everyone, but you had it rough. I won't say you've had the roughest, because I think we both know who did." At that, they both thought of a certain Uchiha who was out gathering firewood. "Anyway, my point is everyone goes through those stages, but not everyone comes out a beautiful sakura. Most is because they aren't given the chance."

Kakashi took this chance to stare at his pupil in the eye. "I thought you think everyone deserves a chance. What happened, Naruto?"

Naruto tried to avoid the jounin's gaze. He wasn't sure if he was ready to talk about this. But you know what they say, there's no better time than now. "…I'm scared of what everyone will think of me when she comes in. I'm scared that she'll think of me like everyone else did. I'm scared of the idea of someone _hating_ me because of what I am." The blond finished with his face towards the grounds. His voice was quiet when he spoke, a rarity for Naruto, and Kakashi could tell he was ashamed of his actions, like he didn't want to be that way but he was traumatized by past experiences.

The Copy Nin sighed and ran a hand through his hair. His blond student still has a lot of growing up to do. "Well, if she acts that way… Then I guess we'll just have to transfer her to another team." Then he smiled. "Both you and Sasuke are the only family I have. Do you think I'll tolerate anyone who steps on you? All I'll have to worry about once I tell the Hokage that she should be transferred to another group is Tsunade-sama's wrath and fists."

And with that, they both chuckled. They could only imagine Tsunade yelling their ears off because of their request. But the team leader turned serious after that. "Naruto, give her a chance, okay? I don't think she'll be like that anyway. The Daimyo is a respectable person, and I don't think he'll raise his daughter to be like how you imagine her to be. Let the sakura blossom into a beautiful flower, with our help." When Naruto nodded, Kakashi gave one last smile before setting his mind on making fire. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his other student coming from the forest after gathering firewood. He was glad that the Uchiha understood what his friend needed, even if he-_Sasuke_-wasn't the one who gave remedy to the problem.

Kakashi took out their food which-_to Naruto's extreme joy_-is ramen. Again. Turns out, the only food they won't get tired from hunting and the only food that won't expire in the day's travels is ramen. That was one of the reasons Naruto managed to smile in the past two days. Kakashi's '_no ramen for three days'_ punishment wasn't the least bit effective.

The group proceeded to making dinner quietly. After a while, things started turning back to normal. Within five minutes, Naruto and Sasuke have already managed to piss each other off and turn their verbal fight into a deadlier match of… jankenpon (rock, paper, scissors). Seeing his students, Kakashi couldn't help but smile. He wouldn't have them any other way. Except maybe if they act a little less like Gai and himself at the moment. They'd be a little less evil that way.

The rest of the journey was resumed the next morning. They quickly made it to the Daimyo's mansion, beating the expected arrival time by about an hour. A maid greeted them at the door and led them to the dining hall. They were rather hungry, seeing as they didn't stop to take a lunch break. "Please wait here for a moment. I will inform Sakumo-sama of your arrival. Please make yourselves comfortable until he arrives."

The maid left after that, and Naruto started ranting about the mansion's extravagance. "Man, this must have cost a fortune! Ne,ne, Kaka-sensei! Did you see the pretty garden! There were more flowers than I can count. I bet Ino-chan and Hinata-chan would be thrilled to see that! And the house! Woooooww! It's so cool! Even the Hokage Tower doesn't compare to this!"

The jounin just smiled at his antics while the dark-haired boy scoffed. "We all saw it Dobe. Just cause you're blind doesn't mean the rest of us are. And there are more flowers than you can count in that garden because you don't know how to count after five."

"Shut up, Teme! I can count after five! And the question about the pretty garden was a rhemo-rhedo-rheto-ahhhh! You know what I mean!"

"It's called a rhetorical question idiot. Nice to know you're not as dumb as I thought."

"I know what it's called! And what is that supposed to mean?! I'm smarter than you, bastard!"

"Dream on, moron."

"Why you arrogant little…!"

Things became a little more heated and vulgar after that. Kakashi didn't mind so much though. He'd stop them, but he's too tired and lazy to do such a thing. Let them embarrass themselves in front of the Daimyo who was already by the door.

"Ahem."

The two bickering boys who had each other by the collar turned to stare at the person who called their attention. He had dark green eyes and messy hair that looked like a light shade of yellow. The man was not that old, probably around his late 30s to early 40s. Seeing the man, Sasuke immediately straightened up and dropped his hold on the blond dobe.

"Itai! Hey that hurt, you bastard!"

Sasuke didn't reply. Instead, he gave a nod to the person who entered the room. Naruto, upon seeing his friend's nod, looked at his sensei who was now speaking to the man.

"Haruno-sama, forgive us for coming on such short notice. We should have sent a messenger first to warn you of our arrival." Kakashi bowed to the man after talking.

Haruno Sakumo brushed off Kakashi's apology. "That's quite alright. I'm sure Sakura would be ecstatic. And please, call me Sakumo. I may be the feudal lord, but I hate formalities when it is absolutely unnecessary. I suppose you're the team Tsunade sent here?" He asked with a friendly smile. Naruto stared at the man. He was quite warm and friendly, though it was a bit forced.

"Hai, Sakumo-san. I am the team leader, Hatake Kakashi." He then turned to the two boys for their introductions.

"Uchiha Sasuke." Sasuke introduced himself with a nod.

"Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayo!" Naruto shouted with a peace sign

Kakashi addressed the Daimyo again. "We are the team entrusted by the Godaime Hokage to escort Haruno Sakura-san to Konohagakure-the Village Hidden in the Leaf."

xOxOxOxOxOxOxO

A/N: So second chapter. Any comments, suggestions, whatevers? Review, kay? I might give you a cookie. *wink wink nudge nudge*


	3. Chapter 3: It All Begins Now

Underneath the Underneath

Chapter 3: It All Begins Now

A group of four people was travelling peacefully on the road near the forest. Those people, with one exception, were highly professional, calm and rational ninja. The other was a refined lady, well-known for being the graceful, cool-headed and quiet daughter of the daimyo.

Okay, so she has to stop with her dramatic description of their trip. It wasn't very fitting, much less accurate. Travelling peacefully? Oh no, she and her other companion, the loud blond, were making good use of their voice box by keeping all the sleepy animals awake. Highly professional, calm and rational ninja? Who was she kidding?

The black-haired one was somewhat professional, if you ignore his rather rude attitude. He was also rather calm, to the point that he doesn't speak unless it's really necessary (which means he needs to insult the blond one or respond to his taunts). He seems rational though, she'd give him that much. Besides, the guy was gorgeous.

The silver-haired leader? Not very professional. What kind of professional would read porn while on a mission? Well, it's not porn, per se, but she heard that it's as close to pornography as a fictional novel can get. Oh, and he's the only one who's actually calm and rational enough in their little group.

Next, the blond that she's conversing with. Well... He doesn't fit with any of the aforementioned descriptions. Highly professional? As professional as a two year old can get. Calm? No, he was practically bouncing off the balls of his feet as they were talking. Rational? If one can call a guy that nearly jumped off a cliff just to save a ramen coupon rational, then he's the most level-headed person she has ever met in her life.

Then she examined herself. The graceful, cool-headed and quiet lady. She knew she wasn't exactly graceful, having tripped for the nth time since the start of their journey. The cool-headed deescription made her want to laugh. She's actually pretty temperamental, easily angered. She's only quiet when something's bothering her, and sometimes, not even then.

Sakura snorted. Maybe it was best if she stopped daydreaming and listen to what her newfound friend was saying.

Sasuke looked over at their charge. They were in a triangular formation, with Kakashi up front, Sasuke near Kakashi's left and the other two farther on his right. It was relatively easy for him to see her, and he had heard her snort. Naruto, on the other hand, was oblivious to the sound she had made and kept on talking. Sasuke had known her attention was not entirely on their conversation; he'd noticed her spacing out a couple of times.

He wasn't exactly sure how he felt about a fourth member in their team. Sure, the girl looked like a nice person and had gotten along with the rest of the team, but she doesn't fit the shinobi/kunoichi profile. From his observation, Haruno Sakura looked like a girl who has never hurt a fly in her life. He didn't think she can amount to anything particularly special. If she made it through Tsunade's training, at least. Sasuke heard that Tsunade doesn't take students easily. The Godaime's training was extremely hard, and to undergo that was suicidal.

Naruto himself said that he heard from the Pervy Sage that Tsunade's training was hell. The blonde Hokage had a different technique than most ninja, relying on her taijutsu and medical skills in battle. She wasn't one for elemental ninjutsu, but seems to have some sort of affinity towards earth jutsu. The boulder smashing, rock crushing and earth manipulation were enough proof of that. Knowing that, learning about the Hokage's fighting style would be difficult.

Looking over at who he came to know as Haruno Sakura, he knew that she wouldn't last long in the hands of the Godaime. With limbs as frail as hers, the only thing she'll be smashing will be the bones in her hands.

xOxOxOxOxOxOxO

_"Sakura isn't the daimyo's only child."_

_Kakashi's eyes widened. He didn't expect this particular tidbit of information from the Hokage. As far as he and the rest of the shinobi world (save for a few other people) knew, the Fire Country's daimyo only had one child: Haruno Sakura. Apparently, that wasn't the case, since he was now being told otherwise by none other than the only person in Konoha who could communicate with the daimyo personally and freely._

_"Pardon me, Tsunade-sama?"_

_Tsunade sighed and took a swig of her sake. Things were getting quite complicated._

_"Sakura is not Sakumo-san's firstborn. There was someone else before her, and he is someone we all know by the name of Noharu Souichiro."_

_Now his brows furrowed. Noharu Souichiro was a known missing ninja, and has been on the run for almost eight years now. His origins were unknown, and not much was known about him except that he used to be a Leaf shinobi. A remarkable one, at that._

_Why he turned rogue no one knew exactly. He was a promising shinobi before he left, one of the top chuunin and was on recommendation for taking the jounin exams at the mere age of thirteen. Aside from that, nothing else was publicly known about him. Only the Hokage at that time, the Sandaime Hokage, knew where he came from or who he really was. By the time the jounin exams were starting, he was already gone._

_"But, Hokage-sama, what does that have to do with Sakura?" Kakashi was confused. His lone eye narrowed, "You don't suppose..." He trailed off._

_The Godaime nodded. "Their father fears the same thing."_

_At that, the looks of the two turned grave. They knew what this situation implied, and with it, came utmost secrecy. It was quiet for a while, both in deep thought, until the blonde Hokage broke the silence._

_"Do you think he'll be bold enough to attack while you're travelling?"_

_The infamous Copy Nin thought for a second. He shook his head slightly._

_"I don't think he'll be that careless. It'd be stupid for a ninja to prepare an ambush that can turn against him."_

_"Meaning?"_

_"No matter how well-thought an ambush is, there's always the chance that it can backfire on you. It takes plenty of time to set up an ambush, and even more time to strategize one with the thought of possible outcomes in mind. You have to cover all of your bases, and if you fail, either the victims get away or the tables turn and you'll be the one preyed upon._

_"In this case, there are three major reasons he can't attack us. One, it's almost impossible to keep track of every possible route our group can choose to take. The daimyo's mansion is nearby, yes, but there are plenty of roads that can lead there. If you don't know where your victims are, you can't set up a trap ahead of time. Two, numbers matter in an ambush. It's basic, you can't ambush a group of people that has more manpower than yours. Unless the shinobi are pretty powerful, then you might have a chance. But even then, the possibility of success is still low. Third, and last, is the members of our team. I don't think he'd want to get in the way of the Copy Ninja, the Uchiha heir and the Kyuubi vessel. Not to brag or anything, but Team Seven has been renowned for quite a while."_

_Kakashi started out serious and calculating, but now his voice was somewhat amused and proud, especially when he mentioned his team. He chuckled after his speech, not one to dwell on the negative side of things. Well, the prodigal son did spice things up a bit, but he relied on ninja instincts to predict that the daimyo's son would not bother their travels._

_Tsunade nodded, and folded her hands in front of her face. She intertwined her fingers and rested her bottom lip on her entwined thumbs._

_"Tsunade-sama, I don't mean to intrude much, but can you tell me what exactly happened to the daimyo's children?"_

_"I don't know the entirety of it, but I do know that it started around the time their mother died. Souichiro was already a chuunin then and was on his way home when it happened. A shinobi broke into their house, without alerting security, and killed their mother. He came home to find his father in a rage, ordering men to search everywhere until that man was found, his sister in a state of shock, looking over at their mother's corpse and his mother lying in a pool of her own blood on the floor._

_"After that incident, neither of the two children acted the same. The sweet, cheerful Sakura became depressed and refused to talk for days. Her brother, always so friendly and warm, turned a cold shoulder to almost everyone except his family. I don't know for sure, but there are rumors saying he pursued his mother's killer that night. No one knew if he got him, but after that, the little boy became a grown man in a matter of hours._

_"Souichiro only acted the same with his little sister. He was the one that got her to finally talk and recover from the unfortunate incident. Eventually, they both recovered, or so their father thought. Two months after their mother's death, and the night before the jounin exams, Souichiro up and disappeared. No one knew where he went. Some said he went to pursue his mother's killer, some said he ran away from all his troubles, no one knows really. Until today, his intentions for becoming a missing ninja remains unknown."_

_After Tsunade's tale, Kakashi turned a thoughtful eye at the windows. He saw the Sandaime's face etched on the mountains, a dark cloud looming above it. He turned his attention back to the Godaime after that._

_"What about Sakura?"_

_The blonde didn't say anything for a while. Instead, she stood up and walked over to one of the shelves in her office. She pulled out what appeared to be an old medical file and dropped it on the mahogany table. She crossed her arms across her chest and leaned against her desk._

_"Read the file, Kakashi."_

_Confused, but following orders nonetheless, Kakashi picked up the file and opened it. He took a look at the first page and read the few words that were written there._

_Name:__ Haruno Sakura_

_Condition:__ extreme case of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD (from death of mother and departure of brother); Depression_

_Suggested Remedy:__ one month of Psychotherapy, Counseling; intake of antidepressants; Electroconvulsive Therapy (as a last resort)_

_He flipped over to the next pages, seeing records of Sakura's progress for a few months after her brother left. There were several charts and brain scans, but when Tsunade told him to go to the last page directly, he found what the Hokage wanted him to._

_Psychotherapy_

_Approach/es Used: Psychoanalysis (for traumatic past); Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (for PTSD)_

_Duration: Daily for two months (sixty-one calendar days); One hour per session_

_Observations: Patient has displayed minimal progress and remained quiet throughout every session. Refusal to disclose feelings and thoughts was observed. Behavior generally the same the entire duration of treatment._

_Recommendations: Resort to either antidepressants or Electroconvulsive Therapy (as a last resort) since verbal communication has no effect whatsoever._

_**Remarks: Not Effective.**_

_Antidepressant_

_Type/s Used: Serotonin-specific Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI)_

_Duration: Six weeks _

_Observations: Patient showed significant changes under influence of antidepressants. Effect began to take place after three weeks of consumption, since then, sleeping and food consumption patterns have improved. Verbal communication has improved little though, and the drugs did nothing to psychological trauma._

_Recommendation: Proceed to Electroconvulsive Therapy for PTSD treatment. Afterwards, apply both the antidepressant intake and psychotherapy method._

_**Remarks: Not Effective.**_

_**(IMPORTANT! A/N: Even though electroconvulsive therapy is only used to cure certain types of depression, we use it to cure PTSD in this story, alright? And PTSD doesn't happen to everyone who experiences trauma. Just to clear things up. The methods taken are from a medical book of mine, but the durations, observations and recommendation are all products of my wonderful imagination. Got it? Good. :P)**_

_**Electroconvulsive Therapy**_

_Duration: Five weeks; therapy conducted twice a week_

_Observations: Significant changes were observed after each treatment. Though not immediately noticeable, changes to behavior, speech and sleep were remarkable. _

_Recommendation: After the final session, resume intake of meds and proceed with the psychotherapy method._

_**Remarks: Effective.**_

_**Kakashi was about to ask Tsunade why she brought this page to his attention when he saw the little note at the bottom of the page. The little note which contained a particularly important information.**_

_**Findings: Electroconvulsive therapy produced remarkable results, but side effect remained. Prolonged memory loss is a known side effect of ECT, and it may be temporary, but may also be permanent.**_

_"Memory loss, Tsunade-sama?"_

_Tsunade nodded, staring at the faces at the Hokage mountain. "Yes. It was a side effect of the procedure, but it only affected parts of her childhood. It was temporary and the memories returned to her after a few weeks, but in those few weeks, she was the liveliest she had ever been since the murder."_

_Kakashi's eyes narrowed the tiniest bit. After that last statement, he had an inkling of what happened next to his would-be student. He was proven correct when the busty blonde confirmed his suspicions._

_"It gave Sakumo-san the idea of deleting the memories of her older brother from her."_

_"Tsunade-sama, can I ask something?" At her nod, he slowly began, "I don't understand. Why did Sakumo-sama choose to delete her memories of her older brother? Why not memories of her mother or her mother's death?"_

_Tsunade frowned at the floor. She didn't get it either; if she was to be asked, then she'd choose to remove the memories of a tragic event than the memories of a loving elder brother. Why did the daimyo choose the first option? Turning a troubled look at Kakashi, she said, "I don't really know."_

_Then she thought some more. Was there something about Souichiro that the daimyo didn't want Sakura to know? Or something he didn't want her to remember? Was Sakumo hiding something? If he is, then what could it be? Other times, she wouldn't really care, but when Sakura goes under her wing and Konoha's, then it will be the village's concern. And whatever concerns the village, concerns the Hokage. Especially if it's her future student. With that thought, she made up her mind._

_"Hatake Kakashi, I'm assigning you a top-secret mission. While completing the escort mission of Haruno Sakura to Konohagakure, you are to find out as much as you can about the Haruno family's history. Do some digging on them. I'll let you deal with how you're going to do it, but I want it done the moment you leave that mansion. Are we clear?" Tsunade spoke in an authoritative voice._

_"Hai, Hokage-sama."_

_"Alright, you're dismissed for today."_

_Kakashi turned to leave, until the voice of the blonde reached his ears again._

_"Oh, and make sure those brats of yours don't know anything about this matter. They don't need to know any more than what anyone else does."_

_xOxOxOxOxOxOxO_

The conversation between him and the blonde Hokage played in his mind. He stared at the book in his hand, Icha Icha Paradise. It was a book authored by one of the infamous Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya. Or at least what appeared to be Jiraiya's creation.

He distinctly remembered the Godaime telling him to keep things to himself. Obviously, he couldn't study whatever information he acquired in the presence of his team without anyone suspecting anything. Especially Sasuke, that boy was just too perceptive for his own good. So he found a way to be able to try and piece the puzzle together while still being his own old, perverted self.

He inserted the pages of his findings in the book.

That way, no one would suspect something out of place. Normally, he didn't need a copy for the information he collected, but he had a feeling this was going to be one long investigation. That, and Tsunade was going to seriously injure him if he didn't keep record of things.

He kept on reading the book in front of him, occasionally peeping on the original Icha Icha. He paid no mind to Naruto and Sakura's conversation, and the occasional banters of Naruto and Sasuke. He was still aware of his surroundings though, and since nothing suspicious was around, he was able to focus more on his findings. But he'll save that for later. It's time to set up camp so the team can rest up for the day.

"Alright, team, that's enough travelling for today. We'll set up camp in the farther part of the forest. Sasuke, you'll go and get us some firewood. Naruto, you'll set up the tents. I'll get some water from the river a few kilometers from here. Be on guard and stay alert. Come on."

He led the team deeper into the forest, and when he found a spot suitable enough for camp, he motioned for them to start their tasks. After that, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

While Sasuke walked off to get firewood, Naruto went to do his own share of work. He noticed Sakura fidgeting in her seat on the ground and silently pondered on what might be wrong with her. When he felt that his brain can't take anymore thinking, he asked her. "Ne, Sakura-chan, are you okay? Is something wrong?"

She looked at him then and smiled a small, shy smile. "I-it's nothing, Naruto. I just... I just feel a bit useless and I was wondering if there's anything I can do to help?" She asked in a meek voice.

Naruto looked at her. Then he stared. And stared some more. After a while, he started laughing. When he was almost done and was wiping the tears from his eyes, he looked over at Sakura who was looking at him like he had a few loose screws.

"Is there something funny at what I said, or do you just randomly laugh like that everytime? If you do, you should have warned me earlier, that's kinda freaky. And don't you think you should've-"

The blond Kyuubi vessel cut off his friend's nervous and embarassed ranting. He was actually amused, he didn't think having another teammate would be this entertaining. Especially since she's just new at this.

"Calm down, Sakura-chan. I was just surprised. Normally, the charge doesn't offer to help with camp arrangements. They just leave it to us, you know?" At the fallen look he received, he quickly continued, "But if you really want to do something, you can help me put up the tents! How's that?"

She beamed at him. "Okay. Arigato, Naruto."

"Eh? What for?"

"For a lot of things. For talking to me. For being a new friend. For letting me help. But most of all, for accepting me and treating me normally.

"You know, you're probably the first person to look at me like I'm an actual person, someone of their equal. Normally, people look at me like I'm some kind of goddess, or some fragile flower that can easily break. I hated that. So thanks."

He looked at her. This time, not in the weird kind of way or the amused sort of look, but the in a look of understanding. He knew what it felt like to be treated differently, they may be treated oppositely, but the bottom line is they both hated how people treated them. Naruto felt that he may have just found someone else that could understand him other than his best friend and teacher. His last teammate. Haruno Sakura.

Somehow, he couldn't help but be guilty for having bad thoughts about her in the first place. Because he now knew she would be a perfect addition to their little dysfunctional family.

At that moment, Sasuke emerged from the trees. He raised a brow at the two who was still putting up the second tent but said nothing. He thought it unusual that Naruto was quiet, and that Sakura was helping Naruto. His name was called, and he looked over at the dobe who was looking at him weirdly.

"What, dobe?"

Cerulean eyes looked annoyed at the nickname, but brushed it off as he got back to what he was supposed to say. "Hurry up with the fire, I wanna eat my ramen!"

"Tch. Whatever."

Arranging the logs, he muttered a small fire jutsu to light up the tiny bonfire. He noticed Sakura's surprised look at his technique. Perhaps she thought he would use matches or something.

"Hey, that was cool! Ne, Sasuke, how'd you do that?"

He nearly forgot that she wasn't a kunoichi. Well, she wasn't a kunoichi _yet_. She'd learn of these things when they arrive back in Konoha. Still, he decided to answer her question. He knew Naruto wouldn't let it drop if he didn't.

"I used chakra to create the fire. You'll learn about these things when we get back." He told her.

Sakura nodded, satisfied with his answer. From the corner of his eye, he saw Naruto preparing his cup of instant ramen and sitting close to the fire. He knew what was to come.

_3_

_2_

_1_

...

"I'M STARVING, DAMMIT! WHERE THE HELL IS KAKA-SENSEI ANYWAYS?"

"Right behind you, Naruto." A voice said from the back of the unsuspecting blond. Naruto leapt up across the fire, startled. He landed behind Sasuke, pulled out a kunai, and peeked from his best friend's back. Sasuke just snickered at the blond.

"Dammit Kaka-sensei, don't do that! You surprised me!" Naruto hollered, pointing a finger at his teacher.

Kakashi just blinked innocently. "Don't do what? I just answered your question Naruto. Oh, and catch." He then tossed a canteen of water at the grumbling blond.

Naruto caught it easily and beamed. He could finally eat his ramen and satisfy his bottomless stomach.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. He can practically _hear_ the blond idiot's thoughts. Wordlessly, he prepared his own cup of ramen for dinner. He paid no mind to the chatter around the campfire. Knowing his best friend (though he would never acknowledge the fact out loud), it was probably about something involving ramen, training or becoming Hokage.

He could feel someone's eyes on him. He looked over at Sakura who was blatantly staring at him. When he caught her gaze, however, she blushed and looked away. _Great_, he thought with a frown, _another fangirl_. She was starting to become a nuisance, in his opinion.

The glances were becoming more and more frequent. The young Uchiha focused on keeping his temper in check; it wouldn't do them any good if he blew up at her. It was getting harder and harder for him though, she just wouldn't stop. His annoyance grew and when he couldn't stand it anymore, he couldn't help but let a small glare dance across his face. He let out an annoyed "What?" and continued glaring at her.

Sakura blinked, a little bit confused by the dark-haired teen's actions. She didn't mean to stare at him so frequently, but she couldn't help it. She was just amazed at how effortless his actions seemed. Sure she knew it came with years of training, but still. Sasuke had this sort of fluidity in his actions that was kinda hard to miss and just plainly amazing. It was simple really, she was just amazed at the Uchiha. He seemed to think of something else though.

The rest of the team turned to look at the two. Sakura nearly blushed at all the attention from the team, but summoned up enough courage to ask Sasuke. She fiddled with the hem of her shirt.

"Nothing. It's just... Well, when we get back, and I get to learn about chakra... Do you think-Do you think maybe you could, uh, teach me? What you just did with the fire, I mean." She nervously choked out. Who could blame her anyway? The guy just glared at her for staring. His glare made her somewhat hesitant about asking him. "If it's okay with you." She hastily added.

Sasuke wiped the the glare from his face and slipped on his poker face. He had to admit, the question surprised him. He honestly thought she was a fangirl, hence the glare. When she started with the question, all he could do was groan inwardly since he thought the girl was actually going to ask him out on a date. But turns out, Haruno Sakura had a few surprises up her sleeves. She managed to wipe his annoyance of her.

But consenting to her request would not be easy. He has never taught anyone before; he was no teacher. Besides, he liked his quiet and space. He knew she was a talkative person, he'd probably blow a fuse if she talked his ears off.

He was about to say no when Naruto nudged him in the ribs, gently (or so the blond thought). He shot his idiot of a teammate a glare but didn't fail to notice the look the ramen-loving idiot was sending him, a silent plea to accept. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kakashi watching them, but also eyeing him with the same look. He sighed, and dropped the glare on his face.

The Uchiha then turned to Sakura. "Fine."

Sakura beamed at him.

"But only on two conditions."

Naruto glared at him.

Kakashi raised a curious eyebrow.

Sakura looked confused but answered anyway. "Okay, sure, anything. What are your conditions?"

"One, you need to fine-tune your chakra control first. You can't train if your chakra control is flawed. Two, if we have the same chakra affinity, then fine. If not, I won't. Simple as that."

"Okay, that's fine with me, but if we don't have the same chakra affinities, then why can't you train me?" Sakura looked happy, but she was confused with his second term. Why not?

"His elemental chakra nature is fire and lightning, Sakura. Every ninja has a different chakra nature. You'll find out yours soon." Kakashi said with a smile. Inwardly, he was proud of Sasuke; the boy certainly had come a long way, even went as far as agreeing to a training session with a girl. Oh well, it was his future teammate anyway.

Curious pink eyebrows rose. "Really? Naruto, what's yours?"

"I'm air type, Sakura-chan, dattebayo!" Naruto replied eagerly, giving her a thumbs-up.

"Cool! And you, Kakashi-san?"

"It's the same with Sasuke but I lean more towards lightning. I can use other techniques too. But we'll save this talk for tomorrow. Time to go to sleep, kids. I'll take first watch. Naruto, I'll wake you up in a few hours." Kakashi told his students.

"But-but, I don't wanna take second shift!" Said blond whined.

"No buts Naruto, Sasuke and I have been taking second shifts since we left. Your turn now."

Grumbling, Naruto walked to one of the two tents. A thought then occurred to him. "Hey, Kakashi-sensei, where would Sakura-chan sleep? We only have two tents."

"Because you forgot to bring the other two assigned to you, moron." Sasuke butted in.

"Shut up, bastard! I thought that we were gonna use sleeping bags, not tents so I forgot!"

"That doesn't change the fact that you _did_ forget."

Kakashi intervened before anything else can be said. "That's enough, you two. Sakura, would it be alright if you shared a tent with Sasuke? Naruto can be a handful when asleep."

Sakura, sensing the implication about Naruto's sleeping habits, giggled and nodded to show she's alright with it. With that, the team turned on their heels and walked into their respective tents to prepare for tomorrow.

After all, tomorrow would be the day they arrive in Konoha.

The day when they would get home.

And the day when everything starts.

xOxOxOxOxOxOxO

The early morning birds chirped loudly at their branches in the trees. The sun had just began to rise, but two figures can already be seen packing things away in their travelling packs. Both moved with a deadly silence, the only sound heard aside from the chirping of birds was their blond teammate's loud snoring.

Sasuke went to check on his things. He had most of them in his pack already, the only thing left was his sleeping bag. In his right, Kakashi was doing the same thing with his own belongings, making sure to start with Naruto's pack as well. It was obvious to the Uchiha that his sensei wanted to get back to Konoha as soon as possible.

It was at that moment that he began to stiffen. He looked over at Kakashi and saw that the grey-haired ninja was also rather tense. Sasuke knew that he also sensed them.

There were chakra signatures heading towards them.

Their motives were not very clear; they could just be passing by, for all they know. But one thing was clear to both of them: they had to protect their charge. The two knew that they can't risk anything, they would have to get out of there before the other ninja got to their campsite just to be safe.

With that thought in mind, they looked at each other and nodded, going to separate tents to rouse the other two.

"Sakura... Sakura, get up. We have to go now." Sasuke hurriedly tapped the pink-haired girl on her shoulders.

"Wha-Sasuke? What is it?" He noticed she looked a bit sleepy, he knew she hadn't been able to sleep very well last night. He paid no mind to it at the moment though, they needed to get out of here, fast.

"We have to leave immediately. Kakashi and I sensed a couple of ninja nearby. We need to avoid trouble."

That wiped any drowsiness left on Sakura's face. She nodded and immediately stood up to get her things. She knew it would be dangerous not only for her, but for the team as well. They needed to avoid any confrontation so no one would get hurt.

When she was done, she went out of the tent and noticed Naruto already taking down the tent he and Kakashi shared. The others wore grave looks, but Naruto doesn't seem affected. He was still his usual talkative self.

She noticed how Kakashi suddenly tensed and narrowed his eyes. Naruto stopped talking and looked at a spot in the distance behind him, eyes also narrowed. Sasuke frowned, and motioned for Naruto to hurry up with the tent. Wordlessly, he obeyed.

"We move by the trees. You three stick together no matter what, I'll stay behind to make sure no one gets to you." Kakashi said in a tone that left no room for argument.

Sakura was about to speak up when Naruto voiced her thoughts. "But sensei, Sakura-chan can't go tree-jumping yet. She doesn't know how. I can carry her on my back if it can get us outta here faster." He offered.

Kakashi quickly contemplated Naruto's suggestion and came to a decision. "No, Naruto. Sasuke, you get Sakura. We need to go as fast as possible and you're a lot faster than Naruto. Understood?"

Sensing that Kakashi wouldn't listen to any of his objections right now, he reluctantly nodded his head. The Uchiha knew that now wasn't the time for personal issues. One of the rules of the shinobi world is to never let personal feelings interfere with a mission. Right now, they needed to get out of that place and get to safety. Even though he didn't like physical contact, he'll have to worry about their proximity later.

So Sasuke crouched down in front of Sakura and motioned for her to get on his back.

With a bit of reluctance in Sakura's part, she did as Kakashi said. Though it was a bit awkward for the both of them, she had to admit he was comfy. Though it wasn't exactly the time to dwell on that matter, so she decided to save that thought for later.

The moment Sasuke and Naruto jumped to the nearest tree branch, she couldn't help but to hold on a little tighter to Sasuke. It was her first time doing this, so you couldn't exactly blame her. The Uchiha she held on to seemed to sense her discomfort and slight fear, for she felt his grip on her tighten a bit. Either way, she was glad for the comfort it brought her.

After a few more minutes of tree hopping, the two stopped on a tree branch simultaneously, Sasuke putting Sakura down on the branch. They both looked at each other and nodded, Naruto making hand signs and Sasuke telling the blond his plan.

"Get two of them to stay here and protect Sakura, we need to go help Kakashi with those men. I sensed more than five; I don't think he'll be able to fend them off alone." With that, onyx eyes transformed to crimson and the dark-haired lad jumped to a tree branch to head back to Kakashi.

"Naruto..." Unsure emerald eyes drifted to the blond beside her.

"Don't worry Sakura-chan. It'll be alright, believe it! We're the best team in Konoha!" With that said, five replicas of Naruto appeared beside them, each wearing similar grins.

When Sakura gave a nod, Naruto and three of his clones leapt off in the direction Sasuke took. The blond took one last look at Sakura, making sure she was alright, before boosting his speed and disappearing in the trees.

Sakura can't help but worry. She knew how dangerous it was for shinobi to fight when out-numbered, but she had to put faith in the team's abilities. If Naruto said that they were the best in the village, then she has no need to worry. In the few days that Sakura has known Naruto, one thing she learned is that the blond always had a way with words. A way that makes you trust in him no matter what.

If only waiting for them to come back unscathed was that easy.

Fifteen minutes later, there was still no sign of the group. She concentrated on finding her inner, who has disappeared for reasons unknown, to try and get the thought of dead bodies out of her head. She nearly jumped when one hand tapped her gently on the shoulder.

One of the Naruto clones looked at her and said, "Sakura-chan, he told us to move you out of here. The fight's getting closer."

Sakura looked at Naruto-clone for a while, confused. Who exactly was he referring to? The answer dawned on her, she figured it might be the real Naruto giving his clones instructions. Even though she was curious as to how he was doing that, now wasn't the time for those kinds of questions.

"Wait, how are they? What exactly is going on out there?" She asked the clone, dying for some answers.

The two looked skeptically at one another, like they weren't sure what to do.

"Dammit, Naruto, just tell me!"

The other one who hasn't talked to her yet sighed and said, "There were a total of seven ninja. Kaka-sensei has already taken care of two when they arrived. There are only two left but they're fleeing that area and heading over here."

"And Kakashi-san, Naruto and Sasuke?"

"They're fine. Minor injuries, nothing to worry about. Now come on."

Sakura didn't know that she was holding her breath until it was let out. Knowing they were safe was a huge relief.

The Naruto-clone crouched down in front of her, and as Sasuke had done earlier, carried her on his back.

They were about to leap off in the trees when without any warning, a shuriken lodged itself in shoulder of the Naruto who carried her on his back. It was a good thing that they were facing the direction the shuriken came from; else it would have hit Sakura dead-on. The clone vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving Sakura in mid-air. She landed on the tree branch with a thud, with the last Naruto-clone standing protectively in front of her. She decided it would be wise to creep away from the edge of the branch; it won't do them any good if she got herself injured because of stupidity.

She saw Naruto-clone pull out a kunai from his pouch and get in a defensive stance. She knew he wouldn't be attacking; Naruto left his clone to defend her, not compromise her safety. Still, she couldn't help but wish the others would arrive soon. She'd feel safer if they were here with her.

The sound of something hitting a tree branch caught her attention. She peeked at Naruto-clone's side, looking at the direction the sound came from. Two tough looking men stood at the branch, both holding what looked like a short katana.

Sakura's brow furrowed. With absolutely no knowledge of self-defense, she was positive she wouldn't have a chance with these guys, if Naruto-clone popped out again. Where was her team?

She saw the burly one move to jump at the branch they were on. She closed her eyes and hid further behind Naruto-clone. Hopefully, Naruto's clone won't let him get to her.

Just as the burly fellow was about to reach the clone, he was tackled by a yellow-orange blur. A loud exclamation of "Oh no, you don't!" was heard as the two landed on the ground with a loud thud.

Hearing the familiar voice, Sakura opened her eyes and looked at where the burly man was. Instead of seeing the two men she assumed to be bandits or missing ninja, she saw the one with the burly guy earlier fighting Sasuke. Loud clangs of metal led her gaze to the ground; she saw Naruto fighting the burly one.

In front of her, the clone finally disappeared. In his place, she saw Kakashi standing with his hitai-ate pulled up, revealing a red eye with a three-pointed star with swirls at the end of each point. She absently noted that his eye looked like the ones Sasuke had, except for the design. (A/N: Sorry for the description. Just imagine the mangekyou, okay? :P)

"Are you alright?"

"Hai, I'm fine. You, Kakashi-san?"

Kakashi's eyes crinkled and he made a move to pull his forehead protector down. "Same. Those two will be finished soon, so we'll get a move on then."

Sakura nodded. There was still one question lingering in her head, and Kakashi was the best person to ask.

"Who were those people?" Curious green eyes looked questioningly at the masked man and waited patiently for the answer.

She noticed Naruto and Sasuke moving towards them. Their eyes also wandered warily to their sensei for the answer that plagued all of their heads.

Kakashi's eye narrowed a fraction, but went unnoticed by the three teens in front of him. Tsunade's instructions quickly surfaced in his mind.

_"Oh, and make sure those brats of yours don't know anything about this matter. They don't need to know any more than what anyone else does."_

He needed to conjure up a story that would satisfy them for now. One that wasn't too far-fetched, and would somehow make sense, given the situation.

"Probably just some missing ninja or bandits looking for a good catch." The silver-haired jounin said.

Sasuke raised a brow, "Then why did they come after Sakura?"

Kakashi contemplated for a bit before he settled on an answer. "We're all obviously ninja here," he motioned towards their forehead protector, "and Sakura's lack of a forehead protector must have tipped them off about her being the charge. You know those rogues are always looking for some loot."

Sasuke nodded, accepting the answer, while Naruto's mouth formed an 'o'. The blond moved to approach Sakura but tripped on a protruding stump on the branch. He flailed his arms around, trying to grab on to something to stop his fall. His hands met a soft object and he held tight to stop his face from meeting the ground some thirty feet down. Unfortunately for the idiot, that soft object he grabbed was Sakura's arm. Soon, they were both falling down on the ground.

Upon seeing the two's fall, Sasuke and Kakashi both acted quickly. Seeing as the grey-haired shinobi was closer to Sakura, he motioned to reach for the girl's arm. He was just in time to hold on to Sakura's hand, and he carefully pulled her up to the branch.

Sasuke, however, had to do more than that to get Naruto. He would have left the dobe to fall if it wasn't for the panicked expression that crossed the whiskered boy's face. Thirty feet was still still quite high for your face to land on, after all. With that thought, Sasuke sent chakra to his feet to hold him in place. Then he let his body fall off the branch and reached for Naruto's foot.

"Damn, teme! Pull me up!" Naruto moved his head to look at his best friend.

Said best friend just raised an eyebrow and smirked at him. "What, scared of heights dobe?"

Naturally, Naruto glared.

"Quit it, you two. Sasuke, just pull him up already so we can be on our way. Konoha's no more than half a day's travel from here. We'll make it home before dusk." Kakashi was smiling beneath his mask. It seems he really was eager to get back.

Naruto thought that the only reason his sensei wanted to go home was so he can finish the Icha Icha book without any interruptions.

For once, Sasuke agreed.

xOxOxOxOxOxOxO

The huge gates of the Hidden Leaf Village was now in sight. Sakura stared as they came closer to the place she would call home for three years._ Almost there now..._

Twenty feet.

Fifteen.

Ten.

_Almost there._

Five.

Three.

One.

_Home, at last._

She stepped foot in the gates. Emerald eyes looked around. Facial features softened. Lips twitched in a smile.

"Welcome to Konoha, Sakura-chan!" The loud cry of the blond beside her only served to make her smile brighter. Looking over at the team that escorted her here, Sakura sensed the beginning of a new life.

_One where she can finally do whatever she set out to do._

"Thank you."

Sakura couldn't recall another time she meant those two words more than she did now.

_Finally._

_xOxOxOxOxOxOxO_

A/N: Unfortunately, I have some good news and some bad news.

The bad news is: updates will be, well for a lack of better word, rare. Life is a bit busy for me now, and writing is somewhat of a second priority only.

The good news is: I'll finish all of my stories. I won't leave them hanging like this, since I know the feeling of reading an unfinished story. It's plain torture, man, and I'm not that mean! :P and when I do update, it will be long chapters. Or at least as long as I can make them :)

Anyways, that's all I wanna say. Please bear with me here guys. But if you really can't wait for the next chapter coz it's taking too long, PM me to get my butt moving. :)

That's all. Review! :D


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